Arcane
by Lightning-Strike
Summary: Something in Crimson's dreams has been toying with her for nearly two years. But that's finally changed, but for better or worse is still a dicey decision. Let's just say that a thirteen-year-old human girl isn't all that human anymore...
1. Prologue

Hello, everyone!!  This is Lightning Strike again!  Jeez, it's been forever since I last uploaded something!  BUT now I have, and it's weirder than ever!  Crimson is a girl who's been plagued by nightmares for the past two years.  But, when she's offered the chance to live again without the pain or horrible dreams, she refuses the offer.  However, the thing that's been haunting her isn't about to take no for an answer.  And when she wakes back up, she's not the same person…she's not even human anymore…

Crimson's eyes slowly slid open.  She was curled into a small, tight ball, as she had been when she had fallen asleep, her head resting on her knees, her arms crossed at her middle.  There was only one difference between now and the time she had closed her eyes last:  She was no longer on the solid ground of the mountains.

A familiar misty darkness had engulfed her, but now a strange shimmering moved within the screen of deep carbon haze.  Warily stretching from her rolled position, standing at her 5'4" height, she finally noticed the floating sensation.  Running her fingers through her chestnut hair, sweeping her bangs back to reveal the small rosy star on her forehead, she began to tune her ears to any sound within the fog.  She didn't have to wait long.

Presently a soft hissing reached her ears.  Glittering emerald eyes fixed straight ahead Crimson exhaled, noticing for the first time that she had been holding her breath at all.  Again she held the air in her diaphragm, daring not breathe out for fear that she might miss some important noise.

_Crimson_, a voice hissed softly, so far below a whisper's tone that she almost missed it.  Again releasing her breath and drawing in another, she spoke to the shifting silhouettes that danced around her.

"So you decided to spare me the usual suffering of the dream deaths?" she asked.  Even to her own ears her voice was soft and distant, the comfort of a human voice absorbed by the murky darkness until all she felt from her speech was the cold indifference of the creature that toyed with her dreams night after endless, horrible night.

A nasal chuckle reached her from one of the numerous shadows.  _Have I really made your life that miserable? _it asked.  Crimson could almost hear it sneering at her, and she had to try her hardest to remain expressionless, keeping the scowl off of her face.  She nodded solemnly, for once furious at the dream she had repeat over and over in her mind both during the day and as she slept.  The snicker slowly became a chilling laugh, a sound that made her shudder involuntarily.  After a few eternal minutes the cackling subsided.

_If you feel that badly about it, would you rather go back?  Do everything over again?  Without the pain?_

Two jade orbs grew and brightened in the depths of the shadows.  Crimson felt her breath become fast, her heart speed up at the prospect her enemy had just shown her.

"To have it all without the pain…" she whispered, the only sound that of the blood rushing through her ears.  As she opened her mouth to accept the offer the reality shone through the original joy.

"Wait," she murmured, her chin resting in her right hand, her left hand supporting her right elbow.  "That would change everything.  You said yourself, once, that my friends were supposed to have different fates than the ones they have.  If I did this again, it would revert to the reality you dream of, wouldn't it!?" she cried, her right hand moving to catch the wandering silhouettes around her, fury and fright dominant in her hunter green eyes.  Her calm had become a panic as red began to seep through her vision.

_So, you choose to decline? _The shade asked, its voice coated with sugar as it moved so that Crimson could see its position.  Then the hysterical laughter filled the gloom. _ You're right, you will not know this life again!  But don't worry, this should be our last encounter._

As pain flooded her body and carmine smoke clouded her vision, Crimson felt cold metal cupping her chin, forcing her head up.  Another piece of icy steel touched her forehead, the star at the center.  With a blinding flash she found that her sight was back to normal.  The nightmarish creature before her was holding its eyes, snarling in pain.

She could easily make out the Pokémon's figure, an Alakazam.  However, by the time her eyes reached where its legs should have been, its body had faded to a wispy haze.  A blood red Misdreavus necklace hung around its neck, the largest orb the gold yellow of a Sneasel's jewel.  On it's forehead was the tear shaped Sneasel gem, and the tri fingered hands over its eyes had long claw-like nails, clutched in each an Alakazam spoon.

With a roar of fury the strange creature placed both spoons forcefully on Crimson's temples.  Immediately the scarlet fog blocked her vision, then all faded to black.

Hence it begins…

Questions?  Comments?  Please review, and you can drop me a line if you'd like.  My E-mail is lightningbeacon@aol.com.  Hope to talk with you soon!


	2. Changes Noted

Thanks for the reviews on Arcane, people! I didn't get many, but the ones I did get were AWESOME!! This has a bit more action, like a calm before a storm. The downpour begins at the end of the chapter, and you'll see just why when you get there. Those of you who've read the prologue, continue. If you haven't, then get moving because you won't understand a word of this! Actually, you will kinda sorta, but…ah, the heck with it. Pokémon isn't mine, but Crimson sure is! 

"YAH!!"

Crimson bolted awake, gasping for breath in the cool air, eyes wide. Something was wrong, she could feel it…but the place she lay in was perfect, exactly as she remembered it from hundreds of previous visits. 

The soft streams of moonlight gently struck the blades of grass in the open glen, seeming like they needed voices to sing the soft praises of the night to the world around. Slender birch trees stood watch here and there around the outside, forming a ring with the oak and cherry trees to form a solid, comforting barrier between herself and the usual torments of life. Twinkling stars dotted the navy velvet sky above her head, adding to the glow around her that the moon had already created. 

Smells soon came to her from all around, ones that she had never noticed before. New grass coated with water from a recent spring shower, night flowers blooming in the dark, sending their fragrances out to lure the nocturnal insects. Tangy mushrooms sprouting from damp earth and a source of fresh water somewhere outside the trees.

And then Crimson found new sounds creeping into her ears. It was as though she could hear the forest itself breathing, stirring in its sleep as a quiet wind rustled the leaves around her. A few insects chirped in the silky timber gray night, a lilting melody that started to send her into sleep. Crimson closed her eyes, sighing contentedly as she lay her head down and began to sink back into gentle slumber.

And then it all sank in.

"What in the name of Articuno!?" she exclaimed, lifting her head again. Wrong. It was all wrong. She had been camping in the mountains, barren and dry, not the Viridian Forest with its gentle rains. But even the season was wrong. It was autumn when she had stopped the night before, but now it was undoubtedly spring. And her senses were far too sharp. She easily recognized the clearing she had found herself in, one that was nearly three hundred miles from her camping ground the previous night…and half a mile away from the nearest water source. The sounds and smells made no sense to her. But the strangest sensation of all was that of the warmth that covered her entire body. It was as though she was encompassed in Arcanine fur.

"Crimson?" a tired voice yawned from behind her. "What's wrong? Can't you sleep?" 

"Blue?" she asked, suddenly recognizing the person speaking to her.

"Who else would it be? You know Austin and Blake left last week, and we haven't seen anyone else," he replied, waking up a bit more. Crimson noticed a slight growling tone underlying his voice.

"Blake? Austin? Who're they?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. "BLUE!!" she cried, jumping up. She hadn't seen the boy she expected. What she did see was an Arcanine, claws unsheathed, strange colors streaked across its body. The basic color, the background for the stripes, was a dusky autumn orange, the more vivid cobalt rays making an odd contrast on its lithe form. Even the flowing mane, tail, and normally beige fur at the creature's ankles were an evening sky blue. But the strangest thing Crimson saw were its eyes. Instead of the brown eyes of most members of the species, she was staring into pale aqua green orbs, so familiar yet so new to her.

"Blue?" she asked, taking a step toward the Arcanine. He gave her an odd look.

"Of course," the Pokémon replied, standing slowly and taking a step toward her, almost as though he were afraid she would attack him. "Crimson, what's the matter?"

"But…you're an Arcanine," she said, shaking her head. It was obvious that she was upset and afraid, but what troubled her was a mystery to Blue.

"Uh-huh, I've always been an Arcanine, you know that," he said calmly, still eyeing her strangely. "And you're one, too."

"What…?" she asked, looking down. What she saw was the last thing she had expected. Two paws, deep scarlet in color and criss-crossed with ebony, supported her weight. Around the ankle of each was a ruff of creamy fur that extended to the knee of each claret furred leg, more of the carbon rays winding their way up to her chest, where another layer of the tanned coat made its way up to her face. A slight wind blew another wisp of beige fluff into her line of vision, giving her a clear indication that she had a mane. And for the first time Crimson noticed her muzzle. It was right in front of her eyes, yet so easy to overlook when nervous. As she shifted her weight experimentally, she found that she continued to stay unusually well balanced. Looking behind her, she caught sight of a large milky tail drooping slightly near the end of her sable banded back, and a second set of carmine legs and paws helped to support her greater weight and larger form. Again long swirls of ankle fur extended from just above the paws, waving slowly in the gentle night wind.

"Crimson? Are you all right?" Blue asked, stepping closer and putting his ear against her chest. She backed up, startled, but strangely didn't fall on her new legs. "Crimson, what's the matter? You're acting strange. Maybe you should just lay down and get some more sleep," he suggested. She slowly walked backward, shaking her head from side to side. Blue continued to move forward, trying to reassure the startled female Arcanine but failing quite miserably. "Crimson, come on, you remember me. It's Blue, your friend. Listen to me, just take a break. You're feverish, that's all. Just lay back down, please."

"But…I'm human," Crimson muttered. The other canine's ears flattened against his orange pelt.

"No, Crimson, you're an Arcanine. There's no way in Hades that you could be one of those filthy lying cheating murderers," he told her, growling at the mere thought of one of the two legged creatures.

"No…I…I'm…I was…but…what's going on?" she asked, her tone rising to a higher, panicked pitch as she tried to sort out her thoughts and understand them. She was an Arcanine. That in itself was the hardest part to accept and believe. But the feel of dampened grass under her paws and the wind blowing her mane about made her all too sure that it was no dream. Or even a nightmare.

"Please, Crimson, calm down," Blue pleaded, stopping and bunching the muscles in his legs to cut her off from the trees if she tried to bolt. 

"This can't be happening!" she cried. Before he could stop her or even think about heading her off Crimson had turned and raced into the forest at well over twenty miles per hour. Staring at the place she had disappeared, wondering if she was just crazy or trying to kill herself, he trotted after her into the trees.

"I can't believe all this," she muttered to herself as her paws flew over the dampened leaves and soft earth. Her memory of the forest hadn't changed, giving her knowledge of every tree she might find in her way and how to avoid it. But some were missing…and there were some new ones. Crimson saw a large oak looming up in front of her and twisted to the side, avoiding crashing into it by a hair's width. But she didn't even stop. She just continued to run full out into the night. She was moving so quickly that as she burst into another clearing she nearly ran straight into the lake at the center. Changing course again she began to run around the lake, gradually slowing her pace until she had fully stopped. Then she took a look around, seeing similarities and differences from the place she had once known.

The lake at the center was a freshwater spring that had come to the surface many hundreds of years ago, but from the looks of it the water had crept farther up its banks, heading for the trees. The rocks that had once littered the shore had disappeared, save one large outcrop that hung out over the serene waters opposite her. Some of the trees that had once protected the clearing were gone, leaving large gaping cavities where they had once made their homes.

"Am I really an Arcanine?" she asked herself, moving one paw up and placing it on her snout. She could see tips of long, black, finely honed claws poking out from the soft short fur. Shaking her head and placing the paw back on the ground, she began to walk toward the overhang. For the first time it occurred to her to wonder why she didn't trip over her paws as she ran, walked, or otherwise, but passed it off as the Arcanine part of her consciousness taking control for her motor skills. After all, Crimson had never been an Arcanine before, so how could she know how to move like one?

She reached the ledge of granite that hung over the water, held up by more of the stones. Stepping up onto the cool, rough surface she shivered at the icy feel of the stone on her leathery pads. Taking a deep breath, she moved out farther on the outcrop until she could see over the edge. What she saw amazed her. Other than the fact that she had fur and was a real Arcanine, she could actually believe that she had once been human. 

"So I'm not crazy," she muttered, laying down on the rocks and lowering her head so that her nose nearly touched the water. The similarities between her old human self and her new Arcanine one were amazing. Her fur was a deep red color, like a piece of her namesake coming to life. Her emerald green eyes sparkled back at her from the surface of the water, almost assuring her that everything would be all right. Wisps of her mane fell over her eyes a bit, giving her what looked like bangs. These strands of hair parted at the center of her forehead, revealing a tiny black star. Other thin jet black shafts were scattered here and there across her face, but they seemed a bit…familiar to her. From the star to her right ear stretched a single ray, while on her right cheek there were three vertical stripes, whereas on her left cheek were three horizontal ones. And suddenly the information clicked: Those stripes were in places scars had been. To check her theory she stood up, looking at the inside of her right front leg. Knowing what to look for, she easily distinguished the long jagged streak of carbon fur, a scar from when she had taken a slash from a Nidoking's poisonous horn.

"Crimson?" a voice asked. Looking back, she saw Blue approaching her. But it didn't seem like the same Arcanine as before. The traditional colors tinted his fur, the only difference being the slightly more orange color of the coat under the ebony stripes. "Crimson, what's this about?" he asked, trying to keep the confused anger from his voice. "You're acting really strange."

"Blue," she said quietly. "Why won't you listen? Why won't you believe what I'm telling you? A few hours ago, when I first went to sleep, I was a thirteen-year-old human girl with a few human friends and a lot of Pokémon companions. Then I had a nightmare, and when I wake up I'm an Arcanine!"

"Crimson, you're not thinking straight," he told her. "You've never been a human! You were born a Growlithe, just like me and all our friends, and you evolved three years ago with a Fire Stone, just like me and all our friends. Is that really so hard to understand?" Now it was obvious that he was getting more irritated.

"Blue, you don't get it!" she cried, turning and jumping down from the rock overhang. "I'm NOT an Arcanine! Or, I wasn't until a while ago. I was human! I remember it! I had a really sarcastic Raichu, a cryptic black Persian, a loyal black Dragonair, a slightly sadistic Blastoise, an Arcanine that really acted like a mother to me…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a minute," he said, shaking his head back and forth. "An Arcanine? Was it a girl?"

"Yeah," Crimson replied. "Why?"

"Was her name Canine?" Blue asked. She nodded, surprised. "Okay, then, this might make a bit more sense now," he muttered, beginning to pace in front of her. "They said her trainer would come back…of course, they also said that the trainer could be one of our species, since that first pup born to the to Canine and the black Arcanine was said to have resembled Canine's master…or, I guess, mistress…"

"Umm…Blue? What are you talking about?" Crimson cocked her head to one side, confused, as she listened to the other Arcanine mutter to himself. As her eyes followed him back and forth, she noticed his claws flick in and out of his paws, a slight blaze of orange and navy beginning to make its way up his legs as he put them out, then recoiling as he retracted them. "Hey, umm…what's going on with your claws?" she asked. Her voice breaking through his thoughts, he looked down as the claws extended from the fur, starting the odd color change, then pulling back in to reverse it.

"Well, maybe you'll remember a bit from this life," he mumbled to no one in particular. "Extend your claws, but keep them out," he instructed. Crimson gave him a very odd look. "Just do as I say." He seemed quite excited for some reason. Shifting her shoulders in a kind of Arcanine shrug, she pushed the black razor sharp claws out of her paws. The reaction was instant and explosive, not painful but…invigorating. The sensation started at the tips of her every strand of fur, moving like a wave across her entire body, charging her with an energy she had never before experienced, making her feel as though she could almost fly. Flashing a wild smile over to her friend, she lifted her head and howled up to the moon, a sound that seemed to make the stars shake and threatened to shatter the white crystal moon.

"Well, I didn't exactly expect that," Blue muttered, a bit worried now. He hoped that the howl hadn't been heard, or at least didn't attract any unwanted visitors. "I take it this doesn't ring a bell anywhere in your mind?" he sighed. 

"Nope, but it sure makes me feel good!" she laughed, prancing around in little circles.

"Good Mother Canine, she's acting like a puppy!" Blue groaned. "Will you calm down!?" he asked, annoyed. Crimson sat down, gaining a bit of control over the extensive amount of extra energy bottled up inside what seemed like a form too small to contain so much liveliness and power. "Thank you," he sighed, relieved. "Now, since you don't seem to have ANY memory of your life before…about half an hour ago, I'll fill you in."

"On how much?" Crimson asked, twitching her ears. "Because I don't even know how I ended up here in the Viridian Forest. Or what happened before I got here, or even what century, date, or day it is. My internal clock and calendar have been thrown off by whatever happened to get me somehow transferred into an Arcanine body."

"Okay, then I'd best start about a hundred and fifty years ago," Blue determined, beginning to pace again. Her head followed him as he moved back and forth in the short damp grass. "But I have to ask you a question first." This took Crimson by surprise.

"Sure, go ahead," she told him.

"How many kinds of Arcanine are there?" he asked. She didn't even think about the answer.

"One," she replied. 

"Wrong," he said instantly. Crimson was taken aback by the reply. "There are two kinds, the normal kind and the larger, more rare and far more powerful kind known as Canine's Children. Humans call us Odd Arkys, which really gets on our nerves."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Crimson asked, unsure of where Blue was headed with this point.

"Well," he began, "about a century and a half ago there was a very powerful trainer with a handful of really powerful Pokémon. These Pokémon were supposedly the trainer's friends, but no one can really be sure. One day the human disappeared, the only thing left apparently being their Pokédex that their Porygon had resided in. Well, the trainer had an Arcanine that went by the name of Canine. After the person disappeared all of their Pokémon left, as well. But after about a year later Canine reappeared, traveling throughout Kanto and a bit in Johto, but normally sticking to the Kanto region. No one knows why, but many think it's because she came from that area and wanted to go home. However, she moved constantly around the land, looking for something. No one knows what, though.

"Well, as she traveled she met a number of Arcanines. And some of them were oddly colored males. She met a pure red Arcanine in Southern Kanto, a black striped yellow one in Western Kanto, a green striped red one in Northern Kanto, and a black striped blue one in Eastern Kanto. Now, all of these were males, oddly enough, but she mated with each of them and produced a litter from each. But after that she put the pups in the care of another female Arcanine and left. Well, after seeing the Four Corners she went to the heart of Kanto: Central Kanto, the worst place for a rare Pokémon to be since there are more strong trainers there than anywhere. Yet she found a pure black Arcanine, and again she had a litter. But all of the pups died early, except one: a black one with red-orange stripes and a little blue star on his cheek.

"Now, they say that Canine took that as an sign her trainer would come back, since her trainer had a star birthmark. Well, one day a trainer came along. Canine and the black Arcanine fought very hard but in the end their pup was captured. That's what really started the hunting and capturing of the sub-species. Now, some people say that Canine and the black one she chose as a life partner are still alive, but most think they died long ago," he finished.

"Wow…nice history," Crimson murmured. "But what's with the strange colors that come with the claws?" Blue chuckled at the question.

"The generations born from Canine's offspring have all had immense power and odd colorations…when their claws were unsheathed. It was a very quick adaptation to keep us from getting as severely hunted and captured. The coloration is like that of a normal Arcanine when we don't extend our claws," he explained. "But the 'second form,' as it's called, is what offers the power to us."

"Ahh," Crimson muttered, beginning to understand what was going on. Before either one could say anything more the brush at the edge of the tree line began to stir violently. Their attentions drawn, both caught sight of a boy staring at them. His blue-brown eyes were wide with admiration and slight fear as he opened his mouth.

"BRIAN!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Oh, great," Blue snarled, extending his claws. A wave of orange and midnight blue swept over him, fading to show the true orange pelt with navy stripes, mane, and tail. After another disturbance of the undergrowth a second boy joined the first, about two or three years older than the frightened young boy who had called him.

"Oh, man, the rumors were true about there being Odd Arky's in the Viridian Forest!" he cried happily, reaching back and pulling a flap open on his knapsack. 

"Perfect," Blue snapped, rising to his back legs and turning quickly. "Crimson, run!" he shouted, placing his front paws back on the firm earth and bolting toward the tree line. The ebony furred female looked at the new boy, Brian, and saw what he had pulled out: A Master Ball. Instantly she was standing on all four paws and racing toward the forest. Just as she neared the safety of the trees she felt something disturb the fur on her back, followed by the sound of a lock opening.

The sensation that followed greatly resembled that of the change to her second form, but it was painful. It seemed like the energy from every cell inside her was exploding outward, destroying the living units that formed her body and kept her alive. Howling in pain, she looked down at her paws, only to see that they were not there. Instead there was a seething ball of rose red translucent energy. Then she lost the ability to see completely. With a rush the pain stopped, but she could still feel. She was surrounded by minute wires and circuits, their electronic synapses sending their information everywhere around her. She was inside the Master Ball. And then the lock snapped shut.

And so it continues…

Umm…does this count as a cliffhanger? I wouldn't know, I'm not good at making those…what do you think? The next chapter is Understanding the Crimson Canine, but that's all I'm gonna say. If you have any questions or comments, either say them in the review or E-mail me at lightningbeacon@aol.com. I'd also love to talk with anyone, so you can IM me if you'd like. Either way, you'll most likely get previews of anything and everything you could ever ask for from my stories.


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